The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature: To which are Added Two Brief Dissertions: I. On Personal Identity, and II. On the Nature of Virtue : Together with A Change Delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Durham at the Primary Visitation in the Year 1751J. Wilson, 1820 - 239 pages |
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actions admitted afford analogy of nature answer appear appointed arise atheism Author of nature behaviour Bishop Bishop BUTLER BISHOP OF DURHAM BUTLER capacities cerning Chap character Christ Christianity common concerning consequences consideration considered constitution and course constitution of nature contrary course of nature creatures credible death degree DIOCESE OF DURHAM dispensation divine doubt effect evidence of religion exercise experience external fact faculties farther future gion God's habits happiness implies instances JOSEPH BUTLER judge justice kind laws living agents mankind manner matter means mind miracles misery moral government natural government natural religion necessity notion objections obligations observations occasions Oriel college ourselves particular personal identity persons piety plainly practice Prelate present presumption principle proof prophecies reason regard relation render respect revelation rewarded and punished rience scheme Scripture sense shew shewn sort suppose supposition temporal tendency thought tion truth ture ural vicious virtuous whole
Popular passages
Page 59 - Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me : for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord : they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Page 59 - Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh...
Page 153 - Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Page 39 - Origen* has with singular sagacity observed, that "he who believes the Scripture to have proceeded from him who is the Author of nature, may well expect to find the same sort of difficulties in it as are found in the constitution of nature.
Page 133 - I express myself with caution, lest I should be mistaken to vilify reason, which is indeed the only faculty we have wherewith to judge concerning anything, even revelation itself; or be misunderstood to assert, that a supposed revelation cannot be proved false from internal characters.
Page 16 - What conscience dictates to be done, Or warns me not to do, This, teach me more than hell to shun, That, more than Heaven pursue. What blessings Thy free bounty gives, Let me not cast away; For God is paid when man receives, T
Page 153 - Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
Page 52 - Nay, for what we know of ourselves, of our present life and of death, death may immediately, in the natural course of things, put us into a higher and more enlarged state of life, as our birth does;* a state in which our capacities and sphere of perception and of action may be much greater than at present.
Page 141 - Scripture precepts, which require, not vicious actions, but actions which would have been vicious had it not been for such precepts; because they are sometimes weakly urged as immoral, and great weight is laid upon objections drawn from them. But to me there seems no difficulty at all in these precepts, but what arises -from their being offences : ie from their being liable to be perverted, as indeed they are, by wicked designing men, to serve the most horrid purposes ; and, perhaps, to mislead the...
Page 54 - I know not that we have any one kind or degree of enjoyment, but by the means of our own actions. And, by prudence and care, we may, for the most part, pass our days in tolerable ease and quiet; or, on the contrary, we may, by rashness, ungoverned passion, wilfulness, or even by negligence, make ourselves as miserable as ever we please.